Christmas 2009!

Merry Christmas! We had several days of celebrations and had some very low lows but also some very high highs. It was an emotional time!

We started on Christmas Eve. That afternoon we went to Uncle Martin and Julie's house to spend some holiday time with them. At their house we had appetizers and visited while Aurora and Alex played with their cousins Carter (a year older than Aurora) and Micah (same age as Alex). Both of our families are super busy and we only really get together around Christmas. I was surprised with how well the kids played together. We had a great time!

When we got home the kids put on their new Christmas pajamas and set out cookies and milk for Santa and carrots for the reindeer. We then read "The Night Before Christmas" and they went to bed excited.

The plan for Christmas Day was for the kids to get up and do their Santa gifts, and then my family was going to come over around 7:30 to have breakfast and begin our celebration. However, early that morning my grandparents' 9 year old dog, Roxy, suffered a large seizure and was rushed to the emergency vet. It turned out she had a brain tumor and they had to put her sleep, on Christmas morning. It was devastating. I have not even told Aurora yet. She has a stuffed 'Roxy Dog" that she sleeps with every night, and it is going to be hard on her. Roxy will be greatly missed.

Aurora came in our room around 6:15, ready to see what Santa brought her. We got Alex up and let the kids loose! They got lots of good stuff - Aurora got the play-doh and Benadaroos she asked for, they both got an Imaginext space shuttle, and a train table, among other things. Alex was SO excited about the train table! He ran up to it, looked it over, and then raised his eyes to the ceiling and said, "Thank you Santa!" It was cute!

We all got cleaned up and let the kids play with their toys from Santa while we waited to see what my family was going to do. They decided to go ahead and come over, after getting themselves cleaned up and emotionally stable. I think it was a great decision - it is hard to be sad with two excited little children running around! We had a great time opening presents and being with each other. My Mom and Grandma and I made pomegranate martinis with my new martini set and enjoyed it with my Grandma's brie bread bowl! We also played games with the kids and checked out everyone's stuff.

Unfortunately, after nap, Alex woke up with a fever and feeling miserable, just like he did on Thanksgiving! Aurora asked me if he was "allergic to holidays!" He laid around with Grandma and didn't eat much of Christmas dinner. His fever finally came down after dinner and he was able to enjoy himself a little more. Everyone left after dinner but overall it was a wonderful day.

Sunday we celebrated with Josh's family. Alex still was not feeling great but he didn't have a fever. We headed over in the morning and made them breakfast. Then we opened presents and watched movies and enjoyed each others' company. We finished with a huge dinner. It was another great day.

The kids received lots of gifts and lots of love this weekend; it was a wonderful season!

Jingle Bells!

This weekend we had our annual Christmas dinner and exchange with my best friend Megan. We do this every year - I make Megan my homemade lasagne, we exchange gifts, and then we hang out. The kids loved their gifts and had a great time. They love Megan! (I also have to mention that she got me a set of fantastic martini glasses)!!

And now, I give you Alex singing 'Jingle Bells' - he won't perform on stage but he will in the bath tub!

Alex Christmas Program 2009

Alex had his very first Christmas program last Friday!  I was already nervous about it because it didn't even start until 7pm and on school days he is ready for bed by that time.  Once I picked him up from school that afternoon and saw what a foul mood he was already in, I knew we were in for trouble!

We got home and had dinner and got dressed up.  He was supposed to wear a santa hat for the program.  I put it on him and tried to get some pictures, but he wasn't having it.  When Alex makes up his mind that he is not going to cooperate for something, there is no changing his mind!

I got Aurora ready as well and managed to perk him up a bit to get a decent picture of both of them (Aurora's outfit is the one from this day).

When we got to the building for the show, he was happily playing with all of the other kids - until I had to leave him with his teacher to get ready while I waited for the show.  He had a total meltdown about that.

Then came showtime...the school's director walked him up to the stage, and I turned away so he wouldn't see me as he walked by.

They went on stage, and Alex got this look of pure torture and sadness.  He did not move while the other kids danced and sang.  He looked like he was going to cry so I snuck up to the stage and sat down in front where he could see me, and tried to encourage him to move his bell to "Silver Bells."  He wasn't having it.  He just stood there with his head down, looking miserable, the whole time.

When they were done, I took him off stage and sat down with him.

Poor guy!  I don't see a career in performing in his future!

Candy Making 2009

Every year two weeks before Christmas, my mom, best friend Megan, and I get together to make tons of Christmas cookies and candies.  The tradition was started by my great-grandma and passed down through my grandma.  This year we were blessed to have my Grandma join in the fun!  My Grandma and Grandpa are down from Missouri and spending all of December with us to join in all of the holiday festivities and spend Christmas with us!

We started the day with homemade scones and coffee with Bailey's Irish Creme (Grandma's idea)!  Then throughout the day we proceeded to make peanut butter balls, cheesecake balls, fudge, peanut clusters, no bake chocolate cookies, toffee, sugar cookies, and the kids even decorated a gingerbread house!

The kids had a blast helping with everything and taste testing (Alex said everything was, "nummy nummy in my tummy"), and really had fun with the gingerbread house.  As I type this, they are running around the house on a sugar high!

Gratitude

This past Friday night we had our good friends Chris and Emily and their new baby Aiden over for dinner and to exchange Christmas presents.  We had a wonderful time!  I love being able to snuggle and play with a baby and then send him home with his momma!  Alex just adores Aiden!  He wanted to look at him, touch him, and play with him...he was all about 'Baby Aiden!'

However, Miss Aurora got her first hard lesson on showing gratitude for something even if you don't like it.  The kids were opening their presents from Chris and Emily, and Alex opened his to reveal a cool Buzz Lightyear cup and Buzz Lightyear gloves!  Aurora was super excited and tore into her present to find - clothes.  Her face immediately clouded.  She was definitely not happy.  I saw her face get all red and then she ran to her room to cry.  Awh!  My heart went out to her - she is still a bit too young I think to appreciate clothes...and especially after seeing the cool stuff her brother got, I know it had to have been hard!   (On a side note, I personally LOVED the outfit they got her!!  I wish I had one in my size!)

So I went into her room to talk to her, and told her that I know she did not get what she expected, but that Chris and Emily tried very hard to get her something special that they thought would look good on her...and that they didn't really have to get her anything at all.  We talked about how lucky she is to even get gifts, and that she needs to say thank you and show gratitude for a gift even if it is not what she wanted.  A tough lesson for a five year old! 

Here are some pictures from the evening:

Aurora reading a book to Baby Aiden

Alex and Emily

Alex and Aurora entertaining Aiden

Alex opening his gift

Aurora opening hers

Christmas Lights

Every year I have been wanting to put lights in front of the house for Christmas, and every year Josh resists.  He has a natural aversion to decorating of any kind (and hides on the day I decorate inside the house for Christmas), not to mention he hates the cold,  so I have not been able to convince him to do it.  However, this year he could not resist the pleas from the kids, who asked us why we did not have lights on our house every time we passed someone who did!

So this past weekend we went to Lowes and let the kids pick out a couple of things.  I wanted to start small so that Daddy wouldn't get overwhelmed with the task and ban all future displays, so the kids and I decided to do two Christmas trees and a strand of lights for one of our trees.  No ladder, hooks, or staple guns required!

The kids helped us put it all up and I have to say it's not too bad for our first year!  Maybe next year I can get him up on the ladder!